JessN: LSU wrap-up: Mistakes likely doom Bama’s chances at title

[JessN]

LSU wrap-up: Mistakes likely doom Bama’s chances at title
by Jess Nicholas
TideFans Editor-In-Chief
November 6th, 2011 08:36 PM

By Jess Nicholas, TideFans.com Editor-In-Chief Nov. 6, 2011   In TideFans.com’s pregame preview that went to press three days before Alabama hosted LSU, the following was written about what would decide the fate of the Crimson Tide: “(I)n every category where games like this are usually won – quarterback play, defensive line, special teams – [...]

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[RJ YellowHammer]

That's gonna leave a mark...

 

[Jay Bama]

How the truth hurts....

 

[Crimson Speed]

Jess, I think we all have to credit you for predicting this loss, but it still hurts. I still believe we were successful for most of the game, just not when it counted. When the game went to overtime, I knew we were cooked because it was obvious that field goals would win it and, well, we know how we were flailing around in the three point efforts. Still, we had more scoring opportunities in the game and should have cashed in.
I realize it is a very long shot for us to end up in the BCSCG, but anything is possible. At the moment, we have two more SEC games to win. I hope our guys can bounce back with an attitude.

 

[Cowzrul]

Erm, forgive my ignorance, but unless I'm missing something, if LSU loses to Arkansas, that would almost certainly put Bama in the SECCG, even if that is their only loss, as that would create a three way tie between one loss LSU/Bama/Arkansas, in which we would likely have the edge in the BCS rankings (the final, relevant tiebreaker, if all are otherwise undefeated, which is likely), giving us the West.

 

[bamacon]

Erm, forgive my ignorance, but unless I'm missing something, if LSU loses to Arkansas, that would almost certainly put Bama in the SECCG, even if that is their only loss, as that would create a three way tie between one loss LSU/Bama/Arkansas, in which we would likely have the edge in the BCS rankings (the final, relevant tiebreaker, if all are otherwise undefeated, which is likely), giving us the West.

The SEC tiebreaker goes further than that because all the teams would be within 5 spots of one another which would put it back to head-to-head. Ark. would have to jump LSU in the BCS standings for that to happen. They might not even with a win.

 

[Ldlane]

Don't agree with the Utah game comparison. Those players had a totally different character. We will bounce back big!

 

[skipster63]

All in all I think the wrap up is a fair summarization. I am most disappointed not in the fact that we lost but the way we lost this game. Hope we get our act together quick because there is a lot more football left to play.

 

[SimplyTide]

Don't agree with the Utah game comparison. Those players had a totally different character. We will bounce back big!

Agreed - the defense, even after the big play, did not look like they had conceded anything. I have not read many of JessN's articles, but I have found this one to be horrible. I disagree with almost everything in it.

 

[JessN]

The SEC tiebreaker goes further than that because all the teams would be within 5 spots of one another which would put it back to head-to-head. Ark. would have to jump LSU in the BCS standings for that to happen. They might not even with a win.

This is correct. Arkansas would have to elevate above LSU in the BCS standings. That would only happen, IMO, if Arkansas slaughters LSU.

The best-case scenario for Alabama right now is to hope for losses from Oklahoma State and Stanford, and in the case of Stanford, hope that if Stanford's loss comes against Oregon, that Oregon doesn't jump Alabama in the final BCS poll, which very well might happen.

 

[TideEngineer08]

Supremely overconfident? Jordan Jefferson wasn't a decisive factor in this game. He produced 1 drive, for 3 points, at the end of the 1st half. LSU's other field goal came off of the McCarron INT which was returned deep into BAMA territory. And of course, the other was in OT, when LSU could have likely kicked the FG on their first play and made it. Alabama's defense did absolutely nothing to disappoint, nor to take away from their pace of being one of the best in school history. It's a damn shame that poor decisions by the offensive staff and a lack of execution on offense ruined Alabama's chance at winning that game.

I told you so would have sufficed.

 

[92tide]

watching ravens v steelers. the announcers just compared it to our game. i was thinking the same thing before they just said it. with both of these excellent teams, you could nit-pick "poor" performance, and it will be much more pronounced for the loser. what you have is two very good teams beating the living crap out of each other. at the end of the night, one will win and one will lose.

i think we have an excellent team and that they will annihilate miss state and auburn. no reason for me to think otherwise. the rest of the stuff (bcs etc) will work itself out.

 

[Bamaro]

All in all I think the wrap up is a fair summarization. I am most disappointed not in the fact that we lost but the way we lost this game. Hope we get our act together quick because there is a lot more football left to play.

OT, with everything on the line, 12 breaking the huddle and a sack, each costing us 5 yards not to mention missing Trent on 2nd down will be something I dont soon forget.

 

[TideWatcher]

One thing I agree with was the body language in OT by our offense. I could tell it was going to take a lucky break. I think it goes to the lack of confidence at the end of regulation. Jess is also right about a few big plays. We were close, but did not make any of them. I disagree with his assessment of the D. Jefferson hurt us with some runs and pitches but the D played a championship game against a very good Lsu offense. Any kind of performance out of our offense, including just huddling up with the right number of players and we win. But if Maze throws that pass earlier, Lsu is talking about how they were stuffed, frustrated, ect, and we forgive all the offense struggles.

 

[JessN]

Supremely overconfident? Jordan Jefferson wasn't a decisive factor in this game. He produced 1 drive, for 3 points, at the end of the 1st half. LSU's other field goal came off of the McCarron INT which was returned deep into BAMA territory. And of course, the other was in OT, when LSU could have likely kicked the FG on their first play and made it. Alabama's defense did absolutely nothing to disappoint, nor to take away from their pace of being one of the best in school history. It's a damn shame that poor decisions by the offensive staff and a lack of execution on offense ruined Alabama's chance at winning that game.

I told you so would have sufficed.

The "supremely overconfident" comment was directed at fans, and the fans were. I'm a member of three different UA boards, and this one, thankfully, has the most sanity about it, but there are a bunch of our fans who want to cut off any conversation about Alabama football that doesn't end in a talk of at what point in the third quarter do the walk-ons start playing.

Jefferson was absolutely the difference for LSU after he took over for Lee for good, because that's when LSU stopped making mistakes. Nothing else changed about LSU during the game. The DL was good the whole time, Ware ran hard the whole time, their secondary was good the whole time, they were great on special teams from start to finish. We knew all that to be true before the game and LSU didn't surprise anyone when those things came to pass.

But Jefferson allowed them to flip field position on a couple of occasions and stop playing into our defense's hands. Lee's two turnovers resulted in a field goal and another field goal attempt. Jefferson also directed a 76-yard drive to tie the game before the half. The mere fact Jefferson simply didn't screw up was one of the three biggest reasons for LSU's win.

 

[BamaFlum]

Jess is right. The won by not screwing up as much as we did.

 

[JessN]

Agreed - the defense, even after the big play, did not look like they had conceded anything. I have not read many of JessN's articles, but I have found this one to be horrible. I disagree with almost everything in it.

Just curious...if you disagree with almost everything in it, what do you think the reasons for defeat were? I'll bet it's going to be hard for you to name something I didn't already (kicking game, critical errors on gotcha plays in LSU territory, etc.).

 

[CrimsonEyeshade]

Just curious...if you disagree with almost everything in it, what do you think the reasons for defeat were? I'll bet it's going to be hard for you to name something I didn't already (kicking game, critical errors on gotcha plays in LSU territory, etc.).

If you pick the 10 biggest plays of the games, we won 3, LSU won 3 and we botched the other 4.

Simple game. Mean one, too.

Jess, why didn't we try to save some clock at the end of regulation? The loss of energy we saw in overtime may have started there.

 

[JBama_in_PCOLA]

If Arky beats LSU then it will go to see who is ahead in the BCS. Good chance of the team being Bama. Jess though is spot on. LSU isn't a better team by any stretch. We had opportunities to put this one away and did not do that, so you have to give them the credit.

 

[92tide]

If you pick the 10 biggest plays of the games, we won 3, LSU won 3 and we botched the other 4.

Simple game. Mean one, too.

Jess, why didn't we try to save some clock at the end of regulation? The loss of energy we saw in overtime may have started there.

i've thought some about that. not sure if this was the rationale, but it may be that with their punter, they had a really good chance of pinning us really deep on the punt, so it may have been more to get as much time off the clock to give us a chance to try one or two shots with our 2 timeouts, and if that doesn't work, take it to OT.

i wasn't that worried about carrying the game to OT when it was happening. even with the extra time on the clock, we would have had to drive pretty far down the field to get in "makable" field goal range. to do that would have required some longer passing plays leading to the possibility of giving up the ball and a chance for the win to LSU. i think you usually take the safe bet and go to OT at home.

i was thinking we had a shot in overtime until the first play (which i thought wasn't a bad call) was dropped. i think trent would have gotten a decent gain on that play had he caught it and at worst we would have been in position for a makable field goal. after the drop, you could just sense the air going out of the team.